The big swell was manageable at Pig Outs. It was too wild and woolly at East End or Fitzroy for surfing but perfect for IRB (inflatable rescue boat) training. Those guys and gals are good, eh?   The paddlers rode some great waves. Des caught two bombs way outside beyond my view. Then Steve arrived with his foil board just after 5pm to catch a few inside.   Surf-tacular day!

The winds picked up later on Sunday and you didn’t have to ring the bell twice. It was full on at East End Beach.   Des caught a few good ones and ended on a solid headstand! 

A change up today.  Scooters and bikes were flying at East End Skate Park,  and I had to snap a few of these kids. They were eager to show off their jumps and the enthusiasm was never ending.  Cool as.

Okay, NZ surf is epic.  The best part is you don’t have to venture far from town to feel like you’re “living it” too.  Here’s the view from the coastal walkway.

The 2019 Super 8 Series at Fitzroy Beach, sponsored by New Plymouth Surfriders Club, was yesterday.  Sets were farther out and “bigger than it looks!”   But for reals… waves faces were 3.5 meters (11 foot).     I met some new folks including a cool high schooler who knows no fear, not even level 2 physics class rattles him. (pink jersey above). 

This day the surf at Back Beach was clean, even at high tide.  The waves broke in sections, spread out the surfers, and provided space for longer boards.  The vibe was great.  There was a jump in the surf  the following day.  Bigger sets mean overhead, whomping close outs ( or “walls of death” as I used to call it). Des surfed again on our pinky,  8.0 surftech and got a few thrills.

The surf changes rapidly with the daily large tide fluctuations. So, when it’s good you’ve got 2 hours before it isn’t.

Of note, my camera has reached the end of it’s life.   The autofocus fatigued, necessitating manual focus to snap photos in the prior posts. Now that function has expired too.  The photos on this post were taken with my old iPhone, in my wetsuit, in the cold and rain. Please forgive the quality.  

Below are shots of  “the Groin” surf spot, perfect for short boogie board rides.  Biking farther north along the coastal walkway,  I usually bike pass these guys, “moo!”

New Plymouth’s many in-town surf breaks have a few obstacles to overcome, but once you get out to the points (way out there)  it looks amazing. I surfed around a corner at a calmer spot called Piggy’s and Des likes the clean lines off Belt Road. Yesterday I captured a few images at lower tide and watched the surfers navigate the rocks.  Many scramble out with no booties, tough Kiwis.

MetService surf forecast was a 9 at Fitzroy and the waves didn’t disappoint. Gorgeous as! The Stand up paddlers caught plenty a few hundred meters down at East End and, thanks to the southeast winds, all of New Plymouth experienced good sized breaking waves. I’m keen on going out tomorrow if I can find a longboard spot or…nice shoulder to ride. Might be bigger too, whomp!

There were plenty of clean waves today at this in town beach break. The outgoing tide walled up the earlier peelers at Fitzroy Beach.

12,000km southwest of Port A.

Harvey who?  Port Aransas celebrated its 107th Birthday with several traditional Old Town Festival events.  The Expression Session Surf Contest felt like an ocean-centric revival of the spirit. Folks gathered, cheered, photographed, swam, surfed, ate, laughed and played on the beach. It was a gorgeous day! Thanks to everyone who stepped up to make it happen, especially Cameron Pratt, the first to say, “We’re gonna do this!”

When it’s windy, hot, and crowded on the beach,  the evenings on the backside of our island  are  blissful.  The last two are shared here.      In Piper flats light breezes blowing through the mangroves surrounds you with a whistling  sound as you drift along.  Herons squawk loudly and egrets track your every move.    At Charlie’s Pasture  jackrabbits bound on and off the trails, often leading you on a good chase.  Water birds loop above then land for a stroll in the flats.

Whether you walk, run, bike or boat the other side is the best place to be at sunset.